Arway goes in front of House committee

Fishing talk surfaces, Cabela's getting ready to talk turkeys.

February 18, 2013|Gary Blockus

John Arway, executive director of the Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission, will present the agency's annual report to the House Game and Fisheries Committee at 1 p.m. Tuesday in Room 60 of the East Wing of the Capitol in Harrisburg.

Arway is expected to talk about a variety of accomplishments, along with issues like the health of the Susquehanna River, the need to fund repair for high-hazard, unsafe dams across the state, changes to the trout-stocking program including the closure of two trout hatcheries by the end of 2014, and the need for a long-term alternative funding source for the state agency, which hasn't had a fishing license increase in 16 years.

Members of the House Game and Fisheries Committee representing the Lehigh Valley include Joe Emrick, R-Northampton; Marcia M. Hahn, R-Northampton; and Doyle Heffley, R-Carbon. If you have concerns about fishing and boating in the state, make sure these lawmakers are on your contact list. All three are actively involved with the outdoors.

Coyote hunting success: Timothy Van Horn of Nazareth did his part on Saturday to help eradicate dangerous animal predators from our midst.

Van Horn was one of only two successful hunters out of 48 registered who harvested a coyote in the eighth annual coyote hunt of the Pennsylvania State Hunters Organization, which is in Perry County.

Van Horn bagged his male coyote in Northampton County and split the top prize money with Larry Bennett of Stewartstown, York County, who shot his female coyote in Centre County.

Unique private landowners conference: The Center for Private Forests at Penn State University and its partners will host the 2013 Landowner Conference on May 10-11 at the Blair County Convention Center in Altoona.

This is an unprecedented conference aimed at helping private landowners concerned about the future of their investment in forests, and Pennsylvania's forest land in general.

The conference will include seminars and presentations on forest land use, conservation and best management practices for wood lots of all sizes.

The Saturday morning keynote address will be by Curt Meine, biographer of Aldo Leopold (1887-1948), considered the father of wildlife ecology who wrote the popular "A Sand County Almanac." The conference will also feature exhibitors, educational and resource tools, and an additional banquet and field walks.

Cost of the conference is $75. To register, go online to http://ecosystems.psu.edu/private-forest-conference/ or call 1-800-235-9473.

For more information about the conference, private forest landowners in Pennsylvania, and the Center for Private Forests at Penn State, contact Jim Finley, Ibberson chairman of forest management, Penn State Department of Ecosystem Science and Management, 814-863-0401 or fj4@psu.edu.

Almost turkey time: For Pennsylvanians, spring gobbler season does not open until May, but Cabela's near Hamburg wants to make sure you get started right in both strategy and gear when it comes time to call in the toms.

Cabela's will host three turkey events in March, beginning with Turkey Hunting University with Matt Morrett of Zink Calls at 6 p.m. March 6. Morrett, originally from Harrisburg and a five-time World Friction Calling champion, will teach how to find turkeys throughout the season, with tactics, calling tips and using proper decoy and blind placement.

On March 16-17, Cabela's will host the Eastern Turkey Hunting Tactics with Nate Hosie of headhunters TV. The Pennsylvania native and co-host of "HeadHunters TV" on the Outdoor Channel will teach how to fool call-shy birds as well as share tips and techniques to be successful like the pros.

The March 16 program will feature hunting tactics at 11 a.m. and how to film your hunt at noon. On Sunday, Hosie will present the tactics seminar again.

Cabela's will host its Turkey Classic on March 30. An ask-the-experts session will take place at 11 a.m., followed by a turkey-calling session with world champion caller Hunter Wallis at 1 p.m. and finally a 2 p.m. seminar on hunting pressured public land turkeys with Freddie McKnight.

Hokendauqua TU meeting: Phil Hublitz will speak on his fishing trip to the western U.S. during the Hokendauqua Chapter of Trout Unlimited meeting at 6:30 p.m. Wednesday in Room C219 of Catasauqua Area High School, 2500 W. Bullshead Road, Allen Township.

Shad anglers meet: The monthly meeting of the Delaware River Shad Fishermen's Association will take place at 7:30 p.m. Wednesday at the Se-Wy-Co Fire Company Social Hall off Route 378 in Lower Saucon Township, approximately 3.5 miles north of Route 309.